Folding chair.



G- EDWARDS.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l3 |9II 1,299,827, I Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lgnuewboa I George J.Edward5 G. J. EDWARDS.

FOLDING CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. 1917.

1,299,827. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gwvewroi GEORGE J. EDWARDS, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH. COLUMBIA, CANADA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 191%.

Application filed .Tune 13, 1917. Serial No. 174,602.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, Gnonen J. EDWARDS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to seats or chairs,particularly adapted for use by babies and small children.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chair which may be folded into compact form for convenience in traveling, and for storage; which maybe suspended from the back of an ordinary chair, the back of an automobile or car seat, or from any other suitable support; which is light in weight; which comprises but relatively few parts; which embodies an open sanitary construction; and which may be economically manufactured.

The above, and various other objects and advanta es of this invention willbe in part describe and in part understood, from the following detailed description of the pres.- ent preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a'chair or seat constructed according to the present invention, the device being shown set up and suspended from the back of an ordinary chair.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation, partly. in. section, of the upper end of the chair.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, of one ofthe transverse connecting barsemployed, showing the detachable head or end piece thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the seat or chair folded.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the same, the rods being shown in position prior to their removal.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view, partly in section, of one of the lazy tong joints between the same and one of the side members.

Referringto these drawings, wherein like parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates a pair of suspension bars which may be formed from flat metallic strips, and which may be overturned at their upper ends to provide engaging hooks 11 adapted for securement over the upper edge of the support A, the latter being illustrated in the present instance as a chair back. i

The upper and lower ends of the bars 10 are preferably connected together by trans verse rods 12 and 18'w'hich slidably-engage through loops or guideways 14 formed in the upper and lower portions of the suspension bars 10. The guideways or loops 14 are preferably formed of edgewise enlargements at the upper and lower portions of the bars 10, and which enlargements are longitudinally slotted for the reception of the rods '12 and 13 theret-hrough. The outer marginal edges of the slots of these guideways 14 are formed with transversely registering notches providing racks having relatively long teeth, and the latter are projected upwardly at a slight angle to form rests forthe opposite ends of the rods 12 and 13.

A lazy tongs 15 is carried between the sus: pension bars 10, and has the upper pivots thereofv in the form of rings 16 adapted to receive the upper rod 12 therethrough, the

lazy tongs 15 constituting a closure forthe back of the seat. The lower opposite ends of the lazy tongs are provided with longitudinal slots 17 adapted to receivestaples 18,

or the like, therethrough, the staples being secured to the inner opposite sides of the suspension bars 10 and adapted to anchor the lower ends of the lazy tongs thereto.

' The seat proper is in the form of a pair of side' bars 19, pivotally mounted at their inner ends upon the lower rod 13 and being connected together at their outer ends upon a third transverse rod 20. The rear portion of the seat frame is filled in by a lazy tongs 21 of similar construction to the lazy tongs 15, having the rings 16 thereof threaded upon the lower rod 13 of the back frame, and having the opposite freeends of the lazy tongs 21 anchored to the side bars 19 of the seat frame by staples 22. The forward portion of the seat frame is closed in by the provision of a third lazy tongs 23, of the construction above described, and having the pivot rings 16 thereof threaded upon the outer or forward rod 20. The free ends of the lazy tongs 23 are anchored to the inner opposite sides of the bars 19 by staples 25, or the like.

The seat is adapted to be swung down from the position shown in Fig. 4 into that disclosed in Fig. 1, the lower transverse rod 13 providing a pivot for the seat. The seat end and having their opposite ends pivotally mounted upon the upper bar or rod 12 and the lower rod 20. The pivotal joints of the braces are arranged intermediate the ends thereof, and the links 26 are adapted to be swung downwardly when the seat is raised, and to lie flat against the suspension bars 10 when the device is folded.

The lower bar 13 of the back may be raised and lowered in its guideways 14: to adjust the seat to the desired height with respect to the position of the suspensionbars 10 upon the support, and the upper transverse rod 12 may be adjusted longitudinally in its guide ways to correspond with the adjustmentof the seat, and also forthe purpose of maintaining the seat inthe desired horizontal position irrespective of the inclination of the back.

The transverse rods 12, 13, and 20 are provided at opposite ends with heads 27, and one or both of the heads of these rods may be detachably mounted thereon such as in the manner disclosed in Fig. 3, wherein the end of the rod shown is threaded into a suitably threaded apertureformed in one side of the head 27. By the removal of one of the heads 27 from eaclr rod, it is apparent that the rods may be withdrawn from the bars 10 and 19, and also from the rings or loops of the lazy tongs.

The lazy tongs each preferably comprises pairs of crossed pivotally connected metallic straps of the desired width and thickness, and the same may be collapsed as shown in Fig. 5 so as to reduce the width of the chair when the same is folded or collapsed, and the lazy tongs provide a substantial connection or bracing means between the side members of thechair when extended." The de vice may be collapsed or folded into compact form and may be easily transported in a traveling bag, in a vehicle, or the'like, and may be easily and quickly set up and hung in position for use.

.It is of course understood that various changes in the details of construction and design may be made in the above specifically described construction, without departing from the spirit of this invention, and being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. I

I claim 1. In a chair, the combination, of a transversely collapsible back portion including a pair of side bars, vertically adjustable rods slidably supported at-the upper and lower ends of said side bars, a pair of seat side bars pivotally and slidably mounted upon the lowermost of said rods, collapsible means carried by said lower rod and said seat side bars and forming therewith a seat, and collapsible braces pivotally connected to the outer edge of the seat portion and to the uppermost of said rods.

2. In a chair, a pair of suspension bars, a pair of side bars, lazy tongs arranged between the opposite ends of the side bars and forming therewith a seat, all of said lazy tongs having pivot rings arranged along one edge, and transverse rods engaging through the lower-ends of said suspension bars and through the opposite ends of said side bars to connect the same and engaging through said rings of the lazy tongs to brace the latter.

3. In a chair, the combination, of a transversely collapsible back portion including a pair of'side bars having their upper ends shaped to form suspending hooks, vertically adjustably rods slidably supported at. the upper and lower ends of said side bars, a pair of seat side bars pivotally and slidably mounted upon the lowermost of said rods, and collapsible means carried by said lower rod and said seat side bars and forming therewith a seat. I

4. In a chair, the combination, of a transversely collapsible back portion including a pair of side bars having their upper ends shaped to form suspending hooks, vertically adjustable rods slidably supported at the upper and lower ends of said side bars, a pair of seat side bars pivotally and slidably mounted upon the lowermost of said rods, collapsible means carried by said lowermost rod and said seat side bars and forming therewith a seat, and collapsible means carried by the uppermost of said rods and coacting therewith and with the side bars to form aback for the'chair'.

5. In a chair, thecombination, of a transversely collapsible back portion including a pair of side bars having their upper ends shapedto form suspending hooks, vertically adjustable rods slidably supported at the upper and lower ends of said side bars, a pair of seat side bars pivotally and slidably mounted upon the lowermost of said rods, a rod slidably carried by the forward ends of said seat side bars, collapsible means carried by said last named rod and said lowermost rod and said seat side bars to form a chair seat, and collapsible braces extending from said last named rod to said uppermost rod.

6. In a chair, the combination, of a trans versely collapsible back portion including a pair of side bars having their upper ends shaped to form suspending hooks, vertically adjustable rods slidably supported at the upper and lower ends of said side bars, a pair of seat side bars pivotally and slidably mounted upon. the lowermost of said rods, a rod slidably carried by theforward ends of said seat side bars, collapsible means carried by said last named rod and said lowermost rod and said seat side bars to form achair seat, collapsible braces extending from said last named rod to said uppermost rod, collapsible means carried by the uppermost of said rods and co-acting therewith and with said first named side bars to form a back for the chair, rings carried by said collapsible means and engaging over the rods adjacent to the respective collapsible means, and knobs upon the ends of said rods.

7. In a chair, a pair of suspension bars, a lazy tongs connecting the bars and forming therewith a back, a pair of side bars, lazy tongs arranged between the opposite ends of the side bars and forming therewith a seat, all of said lazy tongs having pivot rings arranged along one edge, and transverse rods engaging through the opposite ends of said suspension and side bars to connect the same and engaging through said rings of the lazy tongs to brace the latter.

8. In a chair, the combination of a pair of suspension bars, a lazy tongs connecting the upper ends of the bars and forming therewith a back, a pair of side bars, lazy tongs arranged between the opposite ends of the side bars, and forming therewith a seat all of said lazy tongs having pivot rings arranged along one edge adjacent to the outer ends of said suspension and side bars, transverse rods engaging through the opposite ends of said suspension and side bars to pivotally connect the same, and engaging through said rings of the lazy tongs to brace the latter, and pairs of pivotally connected links hingedly mounted at their outer ends upon the transverse rOdS arranged at the outer portions of said back and seat.

9. In a chair, pair of suspension bars, a pair of side bars lazy tongs arranged between the opposite ends of the side bars and forming therewith a seat, all of said lazy tongs having pivot rings arranged along one edge and transverse rods engaging through the lower ends of said suspension bars and through the opposite ends of said side bars to connect the same and engaging through said rings of the lazy tongs to brace the latter, the transverse rods engaging through the ends of said suspension bars being adjustably connected thereto, and supporting means formed upon the upper ends of said suspension bars.

GEORGE J. EDWARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

